adjunct professor

American  

noun

1. a professor employed by a college or university for a specific purpose or length of time and often part-time.

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Usage

What does adjunct professor mean? An adjunct professor is a college or university professor whose employment is temporary or part-time. Adjunct professor (often shortened to simply adjunct)  is typically used to indicate that a professor does not have tenure or is not eligible for tenure. Tenure is a status granted to some professors (after they reach a certain amount of experience) that makes their position essentially permanent. Due to the temporary or part-time status of adjunct professors, this title sometimes carries a connotation that associates it with the difficulties of being in such a position, such as job insecurity and lack of benefits. Example: My math professor is an adjunct professor so he might not be here next semester.

Etymology

Origin of adjunct professor

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

"It's kind of a poisoned chalice for any Chinese defence minister to speak out publicly," said Jennifer Parker, adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia's Defence and Security Institute.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The problem: “Like Crazy Eddie, for those that remember him, the fees are ‘insane,’” says institutional investor Michael Weinberg, an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Romero is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine School of Public Policy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

I’d worked as a server, an office clerk, an adjunct professor and a retail worker putting myself through school.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

“Yes. She is now teaching in America. She shares a cramped office with another adjunct professor, but she says at least teachers are paid there.”

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie